On March 19, President Obama will travel to the Middle East where, in addition to visiting Israel, he will meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. While this will be Obama’s first visit to Israel as president, the White House has sought to lower expectations for any breakthrough in the peace process. In a roundtable discussion, Brookings experts Martin Indyk, Khaled Elgindy and Natan Sachs preview the president’s trip. Their discussion explores Palestinian and Israeli expectations of Obama’s trip and the Israeli government’s newly formed coalition government—including its prospects for negotiations with the Palestinians. They also discuss what role, if any, Secretary of State John Kerry might play in the future of the Middle East peace process.
Listen to the entire conversation here:
Commentary
Brookings Expert Roundtable on President Obama’s Trip to the Middle East
March 18, 2013